Love that TE Roberts from Toledo Saw him play a few times in the midweek MAC games and he's a beast...we better get. a damn TE
well there u have it.......just as simple observation of the list above tells us where the jets are likely to go in the first few rounds. always good to see OL, LB, and TE on tap.
Well, hopefully they're looking to draft OL and TE and a speed pass rusher and Harris' replacement, and I'm sure they have some interest in those positions, but I'm sure they also have interest in other player and other positions (like QB, CB, RB, & FS). This list doesn't guarantee anything.
Howard is already considered a top 20 pick, and could conceivably move into the top 10, but I can't see him making the top 5, so trading up for him (or any player) is out of the question. With all the holes the Jets have, the very last thing they can do is trade up. Earlier today I had thought of the possibility that the Jets could take Howard if he is valued that highly, or could conceivably trade down and take him. I think he's going to be a great player in the NFL, but if the Jets are going to trade down, then I'd rather they take Ramczyk. I'd have mixed feelings if they took him at #6. I'd be very happy that we got a great TE prospect, but unhappy that we passed on a player who would have a bigger impact on our offense or team like Fournette, Foster or Barnett. I think taking Fournette at #6, and then taking two positions out of OLB, OT or CB in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and a TE in the 4th round would be better than taking Howard at #6, two positions out of OLB, OT or CB in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and a RB in the 4th round.
Don't understand the fixation of some posters thinking the Jets will draft a TE, with one of the 1st 2 picks, lol.....Now, please explain the logic behind that when they don't even have a QB to throw the ball to? Especially when they have been a TE-less offensive juggernaut the past several seasons.
I'm not saying that I think the Jets will take Howard or even should, but it is a possibility. They need to seriously upgrade the position and get some production for it. With a young QB, be it Petty, Hack, a draft pick, or a young vet, a TE can be his best friend, not only to catch outlet passes but also helping in the rushing attack to take pressure off the QB. I definitely think the Jets will take a TE in this draft, I just don't think it will be Howard. They could be tempted however, if he is seen as the BPA, due to the Pats' success with Gronkowski, and due to the reasons listed above.
Obviously this is heavily dependant on the compensation either way, but I'd definitely prefer us trading down from the 6 spot than trading up from the second round. I like Howard's chances to be successful, and our need at TE is obvious, as is our need for overall depth. So a trade down where we take him is hard to hate. Especially if the bulk of the picks we get in compensation are 2018 picks. That way, if we do better than expected this year (big if, but nevertheless) we'd still have the ammo to trade up for a QB next year where the class looks much better. Or, barring that, we just have more lottery tickets to fill out our roster with.
Keyshawn made Ray Lucas look good. With a Tony Gonzales type of player across from Marshall of Decker our skill positions start looking a hell of a lot better. A good TE would also help our running game.
Well most young QB's benefit from having a good TE threat. Maybe that'll be the approach come late april. I could see a trade down scenario in round 1 and trying to nab howard in the 12-14 area.
Obviously u need a partner to trade down but if we could acquire an extra 2 and 3 in the process, sign me up. Of course some folks would rather skip the round 2 picks because of our wonderful success rate. LOL
Sounds like one of my favorites is doing well, I have watched Copper Kupp for the last 2 years being stationed 15 minutes from his FCS college at EWU....I would be willing to cut Marshall and Decker and get this kid in the 2nd
http://www.seniorbowl.com/news-highlights-detail.php?ne PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS PFF analysis from first day in full pads - Pt. 1 Thu, Jan 26, 2017 Day two of Reese's Senior Bowl practices here in Mobile, Alabama featured some standout performances. PFF was there to evaluate their play and place it in the context of how each player graded during the 2016 season. Here are the players worth noting, organized by position: PITT’S PETERMAN STANDS OUT AMONG QBS The first couple days of practice can lead to some ugly reps as they get a feel a new system and a new group of pass-catchers. So while there’s been some adjusting, Pitt’s Nathan Peterman is the South quarterback garnering the headlines so far through two practices. Peterman is coming out of a quirky system at Pitt that had him rolling out on 19.2 percent of his snaps (fourth-highest in the FBS) while mixing in a healthy dose of shovel passes, and that made it difficult to demonstrate the “NFL throws” you’d like to see from a college quarterback. However, Peterman did have the highest percentage of big-time throws among the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, and he’s shown good accuracy outside the numbers during the practices. After one day of action, Peterman had the highest grade in PFF’s play-by-play grading of the Senior Bowl practices, and he continued with a strong showing in the second day of practice. Cal’s Davis Webb is an intriguing prospect who began the year on an absolute tear, but his play and production dropped considerably following a thumb injury mid-season. Webb’s work ethic and passion for the game are highly regarded, and he is a player whom coaches will fall in love with in interviews and because of that could rise late in the draft process. TOLEDO RB HUNT IS A SLEEPER IN A LOADED RB CLASS Toledo’s Kareem Hunt has been a PFF favorite for a while now, having earned the highest grade among all running backs in 2016, and he has impressed thus far in Mobile. Hunt was very effective as a pass-catcher in the North practice, making difficult catches look routine and making the case that he can stay on the field on third downs in the NFL. Hunt also showed off his elusiveness which helped him force 98 missed tackles during the season by making Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis miss in the open field on a toss play. Michigan running back De’Veon Smith made some nice plays catching passes out of the backfield, as well. EASTERN WASHINGTON’S KUPP LEADS AN INTRIGUING GROUP OF WRS IN MOBILE Wide receivers stole the show during the North team practices, and Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp was the star. He looked very smooth running routes and getting in and out of his breaks, and gave Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis — who allowed an extremely low passer rating of 47.1 into his coverage this year, and for the most part performed well on Wednesday — a few problems in team drills. Kupp graded extremely well in the small sample of Eastern Washington games PFF has covered (we grade every player on every game involving at least one FBS opponent), and averaged a ridiculous 4.68 yards per route run against Washington State in the season opener. Air Force wide receiver Jalen Robinette had a school commitment that he had to attend and so he did not make it onto the field until Wednesday. Robinette isn’t a speedster but rather a player who wins with superior body control and position. Robinette led all FBS wide receivers with a 5.48 yards per route run average in the Falcons’ run-heavy system. He showed off his impressive vertical leaping ability on one rep and looked smooth in drills. Michigan wide receiver Amara Darboh looked fast running his routes against air early in the practice. Darboh more than held his own going up against the defensive backs in one-on-one portions of drills, including a nice catch in the corner of the end zone. North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer continues to look very explosive and sudden in everything he does, even as he works through a slight foot injury. He ranked 10th in slot catch rate in 2016. Clemson’s Artavis Scott had a good showing during the second practice. Scott looked very fluid and natural in his routes, and repeatedly showed the ability to fight through contact at the top of his route stem. Scott showed the physicality to beat press coverage and the body control to make toe-tapping sideline catches. Grambling wide receiver Chad Williams was a standout during the South practice on Wednesday, showing quick feet when he made breaks in his routes and beating plenty of defensive backs from bigger schools. BAMA TE HOWARD CONTINUES TO ATTRACT ATTENTION We already noted that Alabama TE O.J. Howard stole the show on Day 1, as his size and speed combination wowed scouts and coaches, and it’s clear that Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson was giving him a little extra attention on Day 2. He was in Howard’s ear after he dropped his second pass in two days, this one against air, perhaps trying to get the talented tight end to improve his concentration in order to live up to his potential. Howard had only six drops on 106 catchable passes the last three years, so this shouldn’t be a long-term issue, but inconsistency has been creeping up in practice. Ole Miss TE Evan Engram continues to be a mismatch weapon in practices. As a 235-pound tight end, Engram is a player for whom NFL teams will need to have a distinct role in mind. He graded below-average in pass protection and in run-blocking, but was a weapon as a pass-catcher. On Wednesday, Engram was able to repeatedly get open against defenders and an ability to run double-move routes well. UP-AND-DOWN PERFORMANCES FROM THE O-LINEMEN Temple offensive lineman Dion Dawkins received some extra attention during Wednesday’s practice for some technique issues, but in one-on-one drills, he was excellent, going three-for-three with a very good ability to slide and mirror in pass protection. He is listed as a guard here in Mobile, but as the Owls’ left tackle last season, he finished 12th nationally in pass-blocking efficiency, having allowed just two sacks, two hits and five hurries all season. LSU C Ethan Pocic was the most impressive offensive linemen on the field Wednesday. He was our ninth-highest-graded center in 2016, and saw time at both guard and center in practice. Although he was beaten swiftly on an inside move by Villanova’s Tanoh Kpassagnon (more on him later), he won his other two one-on-one reps and also performed well on double-team drills. His combination of power and foot quickness was on display in team drills as well, skills that led to have not giving up a hit or a sack this season. VILLANOVA EDGE RUSHER IS TALENTED, BUT NEEDS TO IMPROVE TECHNIQUE Tanoh Kpassagnon had an impressive one-on-one session, but it’s worth pointing out some of his struggles on double-team drills. Seeing him have difficulty in that drill wasn’t a huge surprise, as not only is the step up in competition level from Villanova likely an issue, but the fact that he is nearly 6-feet-7 makes his frame an easy target for offensive linemen. Going forward he needs to focus on maintaining a lower pad level and use his natural length and strength to prevent blockers from locking onto him. INTERIOR D-LINEMEN TO WATCH: NOTRE DAME’S ROCHELL AND USC’S TU’IKOLOVATU Notre Dame’s Isaac Rochell had the best all-around day for an interior D-lineman during Wednesday’s practices. He had one bull rush where he completely walked Michigan guard Kyle Kalis back. In general, he performed better as a run defender than a pass-rusher for the Fighting Irish, but it’s worth noting that he still ranked 12th nationally among 3-4 defensive ends in pass-rush productivity last season, despite recording just one sack — and he showed Wednesday more fluidity and athleticism as a pass-rusher than you might expect from a player with a reputation for being a run-stuffer. USC D-tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu had a practice showing that reflected his performance on the field this season. On any plays that required him to show a range of motion, he struggled. This was particularly true as a pass-rusher. But he was able to handle anything that came into his zone, and he was tough to move on any interior run plays. He helped blow up the offense’s run play on a goal-line stand. In 2016, Tu’ikolovatu earned the third-best run-stop percentage in the nation among interior defenders, but graded below-average as a pass-rusher. FLORIDA LB ANZALONE GETS A CHANCE TO IMPRESS It was a frustrating career for Anzalone at Florida, as he came in as a highly-touted recruit, but battled injury and played only 577 snaps over the last season, including 423 last season. He showed his talent in flashes, making plays in the run game despite missing too many tackles (seven misses on only 51 attempts), and he found his way to the quarterback with 16 hurries on only 46 rushes. At practice, Anzalone has been hitting hard in the run game, and he ran with San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey on one downfield route. With a smaller sample size than most on the field, this is a great chance for Anzalone to show what he can do this week in Mobile.
Pt. 2 THE 2017 SENIOR BOWL FEATURES A LOADED GROUP OF DEFENSIVE BACKS The defensive backs at this year’s Senior Bowl make up an impressive group that is filled with future NFL contributors. Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis had a sound day in coverage that backed up his stats this season, and his play in 2015 when he was the No. 1 cornerback in PFF grades. Lewis had a particularly impressive repetition against Air Force wide receiver Jalen Robinette. Lewis jammed Robinette off the line and didn’t allow him to get inside, and then Lewis was able to break the pass up after re-directing Robinette to the outside of the end zone. Nebraska safety Nate Gerry has shown good movement ability and range on the back-end for a player who has already shown NFL-caliber instincts and tackling ability when he is in the box. He earned one of the top coverage grades in the nation among safeties. Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu showed very good short-area burst to fly up and make a “tackle” (Wednesday’s practices did not feature many players hitting the ground) near the end zone. Melifonwu also showed impressive deep speed covering kickoffs, after a season in which he graded better in run defense than in coverage. PFF analyst Bobby Slowik, a former NFL assistant coach with the Washington Redskins, was immediately drawn to Tennessee CB Cameron Sutton on day one after Sutton showed incredible change of direction when staying on top of a slant-and-go against Western Kentucky wide receiver Taywan Taylor. One play does not a player make, but it showed off Sutton’s athleticism and backed up his strong on-field play that saw him grade out as one of the nation’s top corners in 2014. After a down 2015, he was on his way to a strong 2016 before injury slowed him down and limited him to 438 snaps. Perhaps most important for his value, Sutton has been lining up all over the field, taking some snaps in the slot and even at safety and he hung with O.J. Howard on one route, forcing an incompletion. In a deep cornerback class, Sutton could become an excellent value pick, especially if he shows well at multiple positions this week. Another head-turner was the play of San Diego State cornerback Damontae Kazee. Kazee was playing with his normal feisty and aggressive style on Wednesday, constantly being physical and trying to re-route wide receivers. He takes a very “hands on” approach to coverage and was flagged twice for being too physical. That physicality was also apparent during some press-coverage reps where he stuffed wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, taking them out of the play. Kazee is a ball-hawk who likes to go after the ball and made a couple of nice plays undercutting in-routes, but also gave up some catches on out-breaking routes.
PRACTICE AWARDS Howard named Practice Player of Week Sat, Jan 28, 2017 MOBILE, Ala. - O.J. Howard was named the overall top practice player of the week at the Reese's Senior Bowl on Thursday night. According to Pro Footbal Focus (PFF) analysts, the former Alabama tighte end "looked smooth and was arguably the best athlete on the field (this week)." Howard, perhaps underused in the passing game at Alabama in 2016, made plays when given the opportunity and dominated as a blocker, finishing the year as PFF’s highest-graded run-blocker. His performance in Mobile only added to his college career. The other practice award winners, given to players during their annual 'Player's Night,' were: QUARTERBACK: Davis Webb, Cal RUNNING BACK: Jamaal Williams, BYU WIDE RECEIVER: Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington OFFENSIVE LINE: Dion Dawkins, Temple DEFENSIVE LINE: Dalvin Tomlinston, Alabama LINEBACKER: Haasan Reddick, Temple DEFENSIVE BACK: Rasul Douglas, West Virginia SPECIALIST: Jake Elliott, Memphis
http://www.seniorbowl.com/news-highlights-detail.php?news=617 PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS PFF: Wide receivers stealing show Sat, Jan 28, 2017 Pro Football Focus’ analysis team was on the scene once again in Mobile, Ala., for day three of Reese's Senior Bowl practices. Which of these 2017 NFL Draft prospects stood out the most on Thursday? Let’s take a look: WIDE RECEIVERS COOPER KUPP, ZAY JONES TESTING SOLID DB GROUP One of the themes from the day was the continued outstanding play of the wide receivers. The defensive backs of the North were one of the most-hyped position groups on either roster coming into the week, but three receivers have put on constant displays of their diverse talents—perhaps at the expense of the team’s cornerbacks. Eastern Washington WR Cooper Kupp continues to stand out as one of the top performers of the week. He was one of the highest-graded receivers both in one-on-ones and team drills on Tuesday and Wednesday, and his play today is sure to keep him at the top of the position group. He impressed with his ability to make tight cuts at full speed, which allowed him to consistently gain separation. In particular, he notched a touchdown in the back of the end zone during team drills on a post pattern. East Carolina WR Zay Jones was another standout receiver for the North today. He left one corner in quicksand on an explosive double move in a one-on-one rep, notching a touchdown in the back corner of the end zone. West Virginia CB Rasul Douglas did get the better of him on a pass break-up during team drills, but it was clear throughout practice that Jones is one of the most athletically gifted receivers here in Mobile this week. Jones led FBS in receptions in 2016, and posted our highest receiving grade. The final North wide receiver to stand out today was Michigan’s Amara Darboh. He’s clearly a good athlete who was able to consistently create separation today (and throughout the week) because of his polished route-running skills. He knows how to attack the break point to sell the downfield route on comebacks, and uses his hands subtly to put distance between himself and the defensive back. Even when he isn’t able to create space, he shows he has the strong hands needed to win contested balls, as he did on a one-on-one rep against King. LINEBACKERS HAASON REDDICK, CARROLL PHILLIPS STAND OUT Temple linebacker Haason Reddick has had a strong showing this week down in Mobile. Reddick was lined-up in different places and showed the versatility and ability needed to play linebacker at the NFL level. On Thursday, he broke up one pass in coverage and showed an ability to recognize screen passes very quickly, putting himself in position to ruin the play. Reddick was also able to defeat run blocks with frequency. During the season, Reddick’s 13.7 pass-rushing productivity rating ranked 18th among 3-4 outside linebackers. Illinois linebacker Carroll Phillips has had success in different aspects on the field this week, showing his ability to cover tight ends as well as making tackles in the run game. As a pass-rusher, he has been effective off the edge, showing a good burst at the snap and the ability to win outside, and that he can redirect in his rush if his initial move is defeated. Phillips was able to best running backs in the “back-on-backer” pass-rush drills, as well. During the season, Phillips was able to collect sacks from both sides of the line of scrimmage, and his pass-rushing productivity rating of 11.6 ranked 23rd among Power-5 4-3 defensive ends. BATTLES IN THE TRENCHES The most impressive edge rusher in the North’s Day 3 practice was Illinois’ Dawuane Smoot, who was routinely beating his man outside both in one-on-one pass-rushing drills and team portions of the practice ,where he picked up a “sack,” beating Bucknell tackle Julie’n Davenport. Smoot’s play is backing up what we saw this season, as he finished with an 11.8 pass-rushing productivity rating, which ranked 24th among all 4-3 defensive ends in 2016. The North practice saw two offensive linemen succeed in different positions. USC tackle Zach Banner saw some reps at left tackle in practice, as scouts certainly wanted to see him play a spot other than his traditional right tackle position, where he has only allowed three sacks in the last two seasons. Banner didn’t appear to have any issues on the left side, and was able to use his very long frame to run pass-rushers wide of the quarterback in one-on-one drills. Pittsburgh tackle Adam Bisnowaty is a player who appeared to benefit from a position switch during Thursday’s North practice. Bisnowaty historically has played tackle, and during the season, his 97.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked 25th among offensive tackles. However, he has struggled in pass-protection in his Senior Bowl practices outside at tackle, and shifted inside to guard for some snaps on Thursday, where he performed much better in one-on-one pass protection drills.
http://gbnreport.com/first-impressions-thursday-north-practice/ First Impressions from Thursday North practice By Colin Lindsay | January 26, 2017 Another crisp North practice this afternoon under what looked like delightful weather conditions. And while a lot that went on simply confirmed what we saw yesterday – Temple LB Hassan Reddick just kept on making plays – there were several new observations. The North offensive line, for example, was better against the DL, at least in individual drills. In particular, USC OT Chad Banner had a much better practice today. While he isn’t going to make many blocks in space, the massive Banner had a solid day using his length and strength to consistently redirected opposing edge rushers away from the pocket. Indeed, Banner had a shutout going until his very final play when he was a tad slow to set up and had Reddick blow by him for a strip sack. Indiana OG Dan Feeney, who actually worked at C during the one-on-one pass pro drills, also looked more like an All-American than he did yesterday when he got caught lunging and off balance on more than one occasion. Today, though, Feeney was solid on his feet and his technique was near flawless; he also showed terrific range moving around the pocket. On the other hand, Bucknell OT Julien Davenport, who was arguably the most athletic offensive lineman on the North side yesterday, really struggled today. Too often, Davenport allowed opposing edge rushers to get into his pads and knock him off balance and he just didn’t have the strength to recover. Pitt G/T Adam Bisnowaty also struggled again today as he was consistently pushed deep into the pocket. Pretty nice day for the Michigan DTs Ryan Glasgow and Chris Wormley, both of whom did a real nice job shedding blocks on a consistent basis and pressuring the backfield. Notre Dame DE/DT Ike Rochell also had another very good day, especially when he worked inside where he was just too quick for the North interior offensive linemen. It was also another good day for Eastern Washington WR Cooper Kupp, who never looks all that fast, but always seem to be open as he has that ability to make those quick subtle cuts into open space; he also continues to catch just about everything coming his way. Same story for Louisiana Tech smurf Trent Taylor, who was really quick running underneath routes. The most impressive North WR today, though, was East Carolina’s Zay Jones, a longer guy who showed some real long speed along with good concentration and soft hands when the ball was in the air. West Virginia CB Rasul Douglas also had a strong day as he broke up several passes and was very sticky in coverage using his 6-2 length and nice recovery speed, although he did slip a couple of times when forced to change direction quickly. Fellow CBs Jourdan Lewis of Michigan and Iowa’s Des King were also solid again in coverage. Other notes: The North coaches did some mixing and matching along the offensive line asking several players to change positions for at least part of the practice. As noted above, Indiana OG Dan Feeney worked at C during the pass pro drills, while Baylor C Kyle Fuller worked at OG, as did Western Michigan OT Taylor Moton, and Temple G/T Dion Dawkins spent the day at OT … LB Connor Harris of FCS Lindenwood also continued to make plays in both run defense and coverage .. Better day for Illinois DE/OLB Dawaune Smoot who never got off a block yesterday but blew by some people and nade some plays today, although pro scouts still likely would like to see more consistency … RBs Corey Clement of Wisconsin and Toledo’s Kareem Hunt both showed well in the pass pro drills with the OLBs.
